Homemade Superfine Sugar

Superfine Sugar

The Spruce / Elizabeth LaBau

You find the perfect recipe—not only does it sound delicious, but you seem to have every ingredient in your pantry already, except "caster" sugar (or "superfine" sugar). You've never seen caster sugar before, but you rush off to your local supermarket, sure you can find a bag of it. Alas, your supermarket only carries granulated sugar and powdered sugar. Even the cashiers have never heard of it. What to do?

The good news: Sometimes, you can substitute granulated sugar for caster sugar. Granulated sugar crystals are slightly coarser than superfine crystals, but they're both processed white sugars. The bad news: Sometimes, you can't just substitute the one for the other. Superfine sugar dissolves more quickly than granulated sugar, so it works wonders in cocktails and certain delicate pastries—for instance, some meringues and mousses. But more good news: It's easy to make your own superfine sugar at home.

What You Need

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: 5 minutes

Steps to Make It

  1. Measure out the granulated sugar, assuming a 1 to 1 equivalence between granulated sugar and superfine sugar. Add a little extra granulated sugar, since some of it will turn to dust. Pour it into a food processor fitted with a metal blade.
  2. Cover the food processor's lid with a kitchen towel. This will keep most of the sugar dust safely inside the food processor. The kitchen could get a little messy if you don't use a towel.
  3. Process the sugar at high speed for about 1 to 2 minutes. The exact time will depend on the quantity of sugar and your processor, but you should stop before the sugar crystals turn into powder.
  4. Let the sugar dust settle for 10 to 20 seconds, then remove the lid. Your superfine sugar is now ready for any cocktails and meringues. Store it as you would regular sugar.